Karriella walpolensis, Gray & Smith, 2008

Gray, Michael R. & Smith, Helen M., 2008, A New Subfamily of Spiders with Grate-shaped Tapeta from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Stiphidiidae: Borralinae), Records of the Australian Museum 60 (1), pp. 13-44 : 34

Karriella walpolensis n.sp.

Figs 8c , 14a–e , 15c,d

Type material. Western Australia: HOLOTYPE:?, WAM T78282,Walpole- Nornalup NP, Hill Top Rd, 34°57'S 116°46'E, M.R. Gray, pitfall traps in litter, 31 Jan.–5 Mar. 1979 . PARATYPES:!, KS14554, 15 km E of Walpole along Valley of the Giants Rd, 34°56'S 116°48'E, 7 Feb. 1979, M.R. Gray, in log crevice, in retreat funnel with large filmy sheet web, c. 40× 20 cm;?, KS15383, data as for holotype; 3 !!, KS7240, Walpole-Nornalup NP, Hilltop Rd 4 km SW of highway turn-off, 34°58'S 116°46'E, 8 Feb. 1979, M.R. Gray, under logs, large fine mesh, suspended sheet web;?, KS14572, as KS7240 but 2 km from highway turn off;!, WAM T78283, Walpole-Nornalup NP, Gully Road, 34°58'S 116°47'E, 15 Feb. 1979, M.R. Gray, pitfall traps in litter, 31 Jan.–5 Mar. 1979;!, KS14623, Walpole- Nornalup NP, 2 km along Tinglewood-Mt Clare Rd, 34°58'S 116°46'E, 9 Feb. 1979, M.R. Gray, in curled bark, filmy horizontal web c. 30 × 20 cm extending c. 40 cm above ground;!, KS14642, Walpole-Nornalup NP, 34°58'S 116°46'E, 9 Feb. 1979, M.R. Gray, under logs .

Diagnosis. Differs from K. treenensis by the more open dorsal groove on male palpal RDTA; female with a narrower epigynal fossa and copulatory ducts in a more extended S-shape.

Description

Male (holotype). BL 8.57, CL 4.90 (range 3.67–4.90), CW 3.31, CapW 1.96, EGW 1.22, LL 0.84, LW 0.73, SL 2.37, SW 1.76. Legs: 1(4/2)3 (I: 19.92; II: 17.17; III: 14.58; IV: 17.17); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.66. “Stridulatory” bristles usually present on paturon and palpal femur, but relatively scattered and sometimes indistinct ( Fig. 15c,d ). Male palp ( Fig. 14a–c ). Palpal bulb as wide as long. Dorsal groove on RDTA more open and pocket-like. Distal conductor with a smaller flange-like process sub-apically (cf. K. treenensis ).

Female (KS14554). BL 8.94, CL 4.45 (range 3.47–4.57), CW 2.86, CapW 2.16, EGW 1.31, LL 0.76, LW 0.67, SL 1.96, SW 1.67. Legs: 1423 (I: 15.67; II: 13.75; III: 11.92; IV: 14.17); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.72. Epigynum ( Fig. 14d,e ). Fossa similar in external structure to K. treenensis , but usually narrower—fossa length (from anterior margin to line between epigynal knob centres) c. 3× fossa width. Posterior epigynal “knobs” are sometimes damaged or broken off. Internal genitalia with copulatory ducts longer and forming a looser S-shape with the spermathecae, cf. K. treenensis .

Distribution. Walpole and Nornalup areas of southwest Western Australia.

Etymology. The species name refers to the town of Walpole near the type locality.

Figures

Fig. 8. Distribution records: (a), Jamberoo spp.: J. johnnoblei, d; J. boydensis, h; J. actensis, p; J. australis, s. (b), Couranga spp.: C. kioloa, d; C. diehappy, h. (c), Karriella spp.: K. treenensis, N; K. walpolensis, s. (d), Elleguna spp.: E. major, n; E. minor, d. (e), Asmea spp.: A. akrikensis, p; A. hayllari, s; A. capella, h; A. mullerensis, N.

Fig. 14. Karriella walpolensis.(a–c), male palp (holotype):a, ventral; b, retrolateral; c, tibia, dorsal.(d,e), epigynum:d, ventral (KS7240); e, dorsal—internal genitalia (KS14642). Scale line 0.5 mm: upper, a–c; lower, d,e.

Fig.15. Stridulatory structures, male:(a,b), Karriella treenensis (KS34750); (c,d), K. walpolensis (KS15143). (a,c), bristles on lateral paturon; a, linear, c, scattered; b,d, short bristles on prolateral palpal femur.